While regular people have spent the last five years wondering what's wrong with cables, the nascent wireless charging industry has been battling over standards. Thanks to a recent industry shakeup, there are now only two different types of wireless charging for everyone to ignore.

In the 'interesting new technology' stakes, new PC monitors normally rank just above updated versions of power strips. But when a monitor includes a built-in Qi wireless charging pad? Now we're talking.

Cheap and easy wireless charging sounds like Nikola Tesla's fantasy brought to life. It's downright futuristic to think your smartphone could suck up juice just by placing it near a power source. And that's exactly what IKEA wants to do with its new wireless charging devices. Yes, that IKEA — the Swedish furniture empire.

Even though the companies involved have finally come together in a consortium and finalised a standard, wireless charging is still struggling to gain acceptance. But a new technology called adaptive resonance from Fulton Innovation promises to bridge the gaps between devices and make wireless charging pads less difficult to use.

Yes, tickets for the live version of perennial TV quiz favourite QI were hideously expensive. But I was more than happy to see the show in Melbourne, and not just because Stephen Fry and Alan Davies tripped down under to do it. Here are five other reasons.

Welcome to QI, the show that rhymes with bleed your pocket dry. But if you're a total trivia geek (guilty as charged), and rich (not so much) then you'll be pleased to hear that Fry, Alan Davies, and special local guests are headed to Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. No word on Sydney or if ABC will pick up broadcast rights.

When the wireless charging standard you support is floundering and nobody wants to adopt the technology in their actual products, making a wireless mat for portable USB chargers is one dumb way to keep yourself occupied.

Inductive chargers have been kicking around for a while now, but Energizer's new charging platter is the first to utilise Qi technology - the new universal standard for inductive charging. That's one small step closer to total freedom from cables.

The Wireless Power Consortium has finalised the Qi standard meant for low power devices. It's good for gadgets up to 5 watts. And the goal is for the standard to be interoperable between chargers and gadgets from different makers. That's the sort of openness that doesn't always happen when standards are too vague, so I'm glad to see the right intent.